Rise And Fall
by Katriona
Summary: We all know Piper was a geek in high school. So when one boy started paying attention to her, she did anything she could to keep him, even if it meant making the biggest mistake of her life. First in a trilogy. COMPLETED.
1. The Meeting

Rise and Fall  
  
Summary: We all know Piper was a geek in high school. So when one boy started paying attention to her, she did anything she could to keep him, even if it meant making the biggest mistake of her life.  
  
A/N: This is the first in a three-part series. I've already finished this one (it's eight chapters long, by the way), and started on part two, so review and I'll update faster. :)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Charmed. If I did, I can guarantee that Phoebe wouldn't be so damb annoying.  
  
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Sixteen-year-old Piper Halliwell looked around her, surveying the crowded nightclub from her place at the end of the bar. She'd snuck in, borrowing Prue's clothes and Phoebe's make-up, for the first time in her life. She'd wanted to have fun, to go out and party like all the other kids, except that she wasn't invited to any parties. She'd had to make do with a second-rate club and a fake ID she'd gotten from a boy in her science class. She still remembered the way he'd been struggling not to laugh as she traded an entire month's allowance for her new identity. Nobody expected her to have fun. She was too much of a geek, a bookworm, a good girl.  
  
"I'll prove them wrong," she muttered under her breath, just as a cute guy, obviously underage but still older than Piper, sat down next to her.  
  
"Can I buy you a drink?" the cute guy asked.  
  
Piper looked around, startled. She wasn't used to people coming over to talk to her.  
  
The cute guy laughed. "Yes, you."  
  
Piper smiled nervously. "Uh... sure."  
  
The cute guy ordered two martinis from the bartender, then turned back to Piper. "My name's Jared Vasquez. What's yours?"  
  
"Piper Halliwell," she replied, suddenly concious of all the 'pied-piper' teasing she'd gotten over the years. She winced, suddenly wishing she could change it or at least come up with a nickname other than her classmates' customary "Hey, you, quiet one... Uh, what's her name again?"  
  
"Piper..." he repeated slowly, smiling. "I like it. It's.. unique. That suits you."  
  
Piper blushed, thankful that they were in reletively dim light.  
  
"So, what school do you go to?" he asked.  
  
"Baker High," she said. "You?"  
  
He shrugged. "I'm taking a few classes at the community college. I didn't want to enroll in a four-year-school just yet, until I figure out what it is I want to do. What about you? What college are you going to next year?"  
  
Piper laughed. "I'm only a junior. Unfortunately, I've got another year of this." She paused, hoping he didn't think she was a baby.  
  
He didn't seem to mind. "I can't believe you're two years younger than me. You're so much prettier than the girls I know."  
  
Piper giggled apprehensively. "Okay, one, it's kinda dark in here, and two, exactly how many sips of that martini have you had, mister?"  
  
Jared laughed. "Beatiful, and funny. You definately aren't like any of the girls I know."  
  
Piper looked down at her own drink, embarrassed but still pleased. "So this is what it feels like to be special," she murmured.  
  
"What was that?" he asked. "I can't hear you above the music."  
  
"It was nothing," she said, chastising herself for saying it out loud.  
  
"Okay," he said, "Well if you're not going to talk, then let's dance."  
  
She allowed him to take her hand and lead her out to the dance floor. That night, for the first time in her life, she felt wanted. 


	2. Just One Night

Over the next week, Piper saw Jared every night. He made her happier and more confident than she'd ever felt before. Her sisters noticed the change in her, and were ecstatic for her. Their grandmother, however, was less pleased.  
  
"Piper, where were you last night?" she asked while she was feeding the girls breakfast one morning.  
  
"With Jared," she answered. "I told you he was taking me out for dinner, remember?"  
  
"Yes, but dinner dates don't usually last until midnight," Grams pointed out.  
  
Piper shrugged. "We went to the park afterwords. We were just walking around, and we lost track of time. It's not a big deal."  
  
The old woman sighed. "I'm worried about you, Piper. Staying out all night, with some guy you've just met, this isn't like you."  
  
"Maybe that's because Jared is the first guy to ever take an interest in me," she replied. "He's the first guy to tell me I'm beautiful. The first guy to make me feel beatiful."  
  
Grams frowned. "That's exactly what worries me. Piper, are you sure you can trust this guy?"  
  
"Yes," she said firmly. "Grams, he's a good guy."  
  
"All right," Grams said, still not completely satisfied. "Just promise me you'll be careful, darling."  
  
"I will," she promised. She got up and kissed her grandmother good-bye before grabbing her back-pack and heading out to the bus stop. For the first time, she didn't even mind going to school and enduring the taunts of her classmates. She had thoughts of Jared to content herself with. Tonight was going to be a very special night for them. Jared had been a perfect gentlemen on each of their dates, doing more talking than kissing and never going beyond what Piper was comfortable with. He didn't complain, but she knew he was getting impatient. Now, she decided, it was time. Tonight, she was going to sleep with him.  
  
The school day went by in a blur. At three, when the bell rang, Jared was in the parking lot sitting on the hood of his car, waiting for her. She ran into his arms.  
  
"Let's go for a drive," she whispered in his ear. "I want to be alone with you."  
  
He nodded in agreement, and they got in the car. They wound up driving for about two hours, until it was starting to get dark out. They stopped at the nicest hotel they came upon, and Piper followed him in without hesitation. It wasn't until they were in the room itself that Piper felt nervous.  
  
"Hey," he said, touching her hip gently. "I don't want you to do this if you don't want to. We can wait."  
  
She shook her head. "I'm ready. I want to."  
  
"Okay," he said. He slid his arms around her waist, and suddenly his mouth was covering hers. She kissed him back, letting him lay her gently on the queen-sized bed. There, in a hotel room far from home, she gave him all of her.  
  
~*~  
  
Piper woke up at sunrise the next morning, at first unsure of where she was. Then, when she saw Jared lying next to her, she slowly remembered the events of the previous night.  
  
Needing some time to think, Piper got up and went out to the balconey, where she could watch the sun rise. Jared joined her a few minutes later, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her.  
  
"Any regrets?" he asked, kissing her ear.  
  
She shook her head, even though she wasn't quite sure, and answered, "No. You?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
She could tell that, unlike herself, he genuinely meant it. She thought this should give her comfort, but oddly enough it only made her more anxious. "We should get home. Grams is going to freak if she wakes up before I get there."  
  
"Sure, babe. Let's go get dressed."  
  
Since they only brought the clothes they'd been wearing, it didn't take long for them to get themselves together and check out. Jared payed for the night with a credit card, not allowing Piper to use any of her own money. This subtle, gentlemanly move left her somewhat reassured that maybe things wouldn't change as drastically as she'd feared. Still, the ride home was filled with long stretches of silence, as opposed to the usual endless stream of banter between them.  
  
They pulled up in front of the Victorian manor at seven in the morning. Piper started to open her door when Jaden reached over and put his hand on her wrist.  
  
"Hey," he said gently, "Nothing has to change between us. I don't want you to think I'm only using you for sex now. You're still the most beautiful, funny, intelligent girl I've ever met, okay?"  
  
She nodded, smiling. "Okay. Thanks, Jare, I needed to hear that."  
  
He smiled back, then leaned over and kissed her before undoing her seatbelt and letting her out of the car. She ran back to the house, only looking back at him once before she slipped in the door. 


	3. The Talk

Piper tip-toed up the stairs, hoping that Grams was still asleep. She'd almost made it to her bedroom when a familiar voice called out, "Stop."  
  
She turned around slowly. "Grams... good morning."  
  
"Don't 'good morning' me, young lady. You didn't think I wouldn't catch you trying to sneak in? Piper, how could you?"  
  
"Grams... I'm sorry..." Piper started, at a loss for words. But then she thought of Jared and how good he was to her, and anger started to take over. "You know what? I'm not sorry. He's the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm not a little girl anymore, no matter how much you and everyone else insist on seeing me as one."  
  
"Lying and sneaking around is hardly acting like an adult, Piper," her grandmother shot back. "You are still a child. And as far as this Gerald or whoever the hell he is, I don't want you seeing him again, is that clear?"  
  
"You can't do this," she screamed. "You can't tell me who to see, who to talk to, who to fall in love with."  
  
The last phrase hit Penny like a slap in the face. "Well, then," she said, regaining her composure, "I suppose I can't send you to your room, either. Very well. I'll just go to mine."  
  
With that, she turned around and walked off. Piper leaned against the wall, tears forming behind her eyes. The hurt look on her grandmother's face, the bereaved tone in her voice, knowing that she, Piper, was the cause of that pain made her sick.  
  
Weakly, she walked over to Prue's room and knocked on her door. Her big sister had always been the one to talk her through a problem. Now she needed her to help her through a crisis.  
  
Prue yelled that it was okay to come in, so Piper opened the door a crack and slipped through before closing it again. "I need to talk to you," she said, her voice quivering.  
  
"Piper, what's wrong?" Prue asked, rushing over to hug her sister. She paused, noticing that Piper was wearing the exact same thing as yesterday. "Honey... did you just get home?"  
  
Piper nodded. "I was..." She swallowed hard, looking for the words to continue. "I was out with Jared."  
  
And then, she broke down crying. Prue hugged her, assuring her that it was okay, and maybe if they just talked about it she'd feel better.  
  
"I slept with him, Prue," Piper confessed once her sobs had been reduced to a few free-flowing tears.  
  
"You mean, where you lie side-by-side in bed and actually... sleep...?" Prue ventured. Piper shook her head, struggling not to let her crying jag begin anew.  
  
"Oh, honey," Prue said, pulling her closer. She was at a loss for what to say. She'd expected to one day have this conversation with Phoebe, in a much less civil manner, of course, but Piper was a different story. This was the last thing she'd ever expected. Trying to figure out how to handle this, she led Piper over to her bed, figuring that it would be easier to talk if they were sitting down.  
  
"Did you... want to?" she asked awkwardly. Prue honestly wasn't sure which answer she wanted to hear. If Piper said yes, then it meant that her little sister had potentially made the biggest mistake of her life. If she said no... Well, that just meant that Prue would have to kill the bastard.  
  
"Yeah," Piper answered quietly. "I mean, I was scared... But mostly I was just afraid of losing him. He told me I didn't have to, but guys have expectations, you know? And even though he said he didn't want to do it until I was ready, at the time I thought I was."  
  
"Now what do you think?" Prue questioned softly.  
  
"I don't know..." Piper answered. She hesitated before adding, "I don't think so."  
  
Prue once more put her arms around her sister, gently rocking her. "It's all right. Everything's going to be okay. I'll help you deal with this. If you want, I'll go with you to talk to Jared. If he's as great as you say he is, he'll understand why you can't see him-"  
  
Piper pulled away abruptly. "I never said I don't want to see him again," she interrupted. "I may not want a repeat of last night right away, but I don't want to cut him out completely. Prue, he's the best thing in my life right now."  
  
Prue winced at the last statement. She remembered a time when their family was the best thing in her sister's life.  
  
"Aside from you and Grams and Phoebe," Piper quickly amended, seeing the hurt look on her sister's face and not wanting it to erupt into another Grams-esque arguement.  
  
"It's okay, I know what you meant," Prue said. Truthfully, the eighteen-year-old had had her own share of time-consuming boyfriends. However, Prue had never slept with any of them to fullfill any kind of perceived obligation. She was just starting to wonder what had happened to make her sister think this was the only way to keep a guy, when there was a small knock on the door.  
  
Piper and Prue looked up, and thirteen-year-old Phoebe poked her head into the room. "I just saw Grams downstairs. You guys might want to stay away from her, she's pretty upset."  
  
Piper snorted. "Great. So now not only do I hate myself, but she hates me, too. Can't say I don't deserve it, though."  
  
"I can," Prue said. "She doesn't hate you, Piper, she'd just disappointed. And you need to stop being so hard on yourself."  
  
"What did you do?" Phoebe asked innocently, coming over to sit with her sisters.  
  
Piper pulled her little sister close to her. She knew that Phoebe had already taken an interest in boys and clothes and such, so she figured a warning might be useful at this point. "Honey, promise me that no matter what any boy says, you won't do anything you don't feel comfortable with, and you won't let yourself be influence by what you think they expect. Trust me, no guy is worth it, okay?"  
  
Phoebe nodded, a worried frown forming on her face. "Piper, what's wrong? Did that guy you're seeing hurt you or something?"  
  
Piper shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Just promise me, and don't forget."  
  
"I promise," Phoebe swore.  
  
Piper nodded, satisfied. She could only hope that her sister didn't make the same mistakes she did. 


	4. It Only Takes Once

Over a month later, Piper was still seeing Jared. Grams still strongly disapproved, but Piper was trying to be the perfect granddaughter, limiting the time she spent with Jared and never neglecting her family or schoolwork. However, she could only keep this up for so long.  
  
"Piper," Prue called gently, standing outside the bathroom door. "Honey, are you okay?"  
  
"No," Piper managed before heaving into the toilet.  
  
Prue sighed, worried. Her sister had been in there for half an hour now. This had almost become routine, within the last two weeks or so. "Honey, you should really see a doctor. It's probably just the flu, but he can prescribe something."  
  
"No," Piper repeated, opening the door. Standing up straight, she was still several inches shorter than her sister; still, Prue was shocked at how much older she looked. "It's not the flu," Piper said, her eyes filling with tears. "At least, I don't think it is. Prue, I'm late."  
  
Prue sucked in a deep breath, trying to think straight for the benefit of her sister. "Okay, by how long?"  
  
"Two months," Piper said shakily. "The first time, I just kept hoping I'd get it, but I still haven't, and now I'm getting sick all the time, and..." She broke off, afraid that if she said any more, she'd start to cry.  
  
Prue was finding it harder by the second to form rational thoughts. "How long ago was the last time you and Jared...?"  
  
"Seven weeks ago. The first time, when I told you. We haven't done anything since," Piper swore.  
  
"Honey, once is all it takes," Prue said softly.  
  
"I know," Piper replied. There was a pause. "God, what am I going to do?"  
  
"Well, first you need to know for sure," Prue said, once again thinking clearly. "I'll go make you a doctor's appointment, and I'm taking you myself. I can afford to skip class for one day, especially for this." Prue was a Fine Arts major at the nearby university, only ten minutes from where Jared went to class. In fact, the two had seen each other several times in the two colleges' shared popular hangout, a coffee house within equal distance of the schools. Prue had gotten the impression that he was a nice guy, genuinely interested in her sister, but that didn't stop her from loathing him at the moment.  
  
"Prue, what if I am?" Piper asked fearfully.  
  
"We'll worry about it when we know for sure," she said. She gave her sister a quick kiss, then pointed her down the hall. "Now go back to bed. I'm tell Grams you've got the flu."  
  
Piper sighed. "I hate lying to her."  
  
Prue gave her a small half-smile. "I know. But hey, maybe the doctor will tell us that it's not a lie."  
  
Piper feebly tried to smile back, then disappeared into her room. Prue then went into her own room, both to set up the appointment and to call Grams at work and let her know that Piper was staying home from school. Then, she went back to Piper, trying in vain to comfort the girl.  
  
The appointment was for twelve noon. Piper was quickly examined by the doctor, had blood drawn, and then, since there weren't many other patients, told to sit with Prue in the waiting room until the test results were ready. Since it was a slow day for the doctor, this didn't take long, though for Piper it seemed like an eternity and a half before she was finally called back into the office.  
  
"Well, Ms. Halliwell, the results are pretty straightforward," the doctor, a middle-aged, grey-haired gentleman, began. "According to the examination and the tests we ran, you're in perfect health. You're also pregnant."  
  
It took every ounce of strength Piper had not to cry. Prue reached over and squeezed her hand, then took over for her as far as listening to the doctor's advice and finally thanking him when they were through, as Piper sat motionless, unable to hear a word of their conversation. Prue had to steer her back to the car. It wasn't until they'd pulled onto the highway that Piper said anything at all.  
  
"I'm only sixteen," she whispered to no one in particular. "How can this happen?"  
  
Prue reached over and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "You can get through this, Piper. When we get home, we'll talk, and you can figure out what you want to do. We've still got a few hours before Phoebe gets home. That'll at least give us time to talk it over."  
  
"So we're going to decide my entire future in the span of 'a few hours'?" Piper demanded.  
  
"We're going to figure out where we go from here," Prue corrected, keeping her temper in check in response to her sister's irritability.  
  
Piper sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. You not the one I'm mad at; I am."  
  
"I know, honey," Prue said. "I can't even imagine how scared you must feel. But you've got to let me help you. I'd hate to see you go through it alone."  
  
Piper nodded, but turned so her back was to her sister, and curled up in her seat. She spent the rest of the drive just staring out the window.  
  
When they got home, it took Prue half an hour to get Piper to eat a bowl of soup. When she'd finally had lunch, she went into her room, where at last Prue got her talking.  
  
"I have to tell Jared," Piper said with a sigh. "And Grams... Oh, she's already so disappointed in me. She'll never forgive me now."  
  
"Of course she will," Prue assured her. "She's probably just as mad at herself as she is at you. I mean, she's supposed to be your parental figure, she's responsible for teaching you, and she probably feels like she's failed somehow."  
  
Piper bit her lip. "You sound like you can relate."  
  
Prue shrugged uncomfortably. She'd just inadvertantly confessed her own feelings about the situation, but, not wanting to upset her already distraught sister, she pretended she'd been speaking purely hypothetically.  
  
Piper knew her sister too well to believe her. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I'm the one who screwed up. Not you. Please don't feel bad for my mistake."  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it, sweetie," Prue said. "You need to figure out your own feelings about this, so don't even think about mine or anyone else's."  
  
"How can I not?" Piper questioned. "Prue, you didn't see the look on Grams' face when she caught me sneaking in that morning. And this is just so much worse... How could I have let this happen?"  
  
Unsure of how to respond, Prue just said, "I think we need to worry more about what's going to happen next. Do you want me there when you talk to Grams?"  
  
Piper nodded. "Yes. I need you. I can't face Grams alone. But I don't want Phoebe there. I know I'll have to let her know eventually, I mean, I'll only be able to hide it for so long, but... She's so young, and she looks up to me, not as much as she does to you, but still..." She squeezed her eyes shut, but a few tears rolled down anyway. She kept coming back to the same question, and nobody - not Prue, not Grams, not even Jared - was going to be able to give her an answer.  
  
How could she have let this happen? 


	5. Telling Grams

That evening, after dinner, Prue and Piper sat Grams down in the living room to tell her the news. Her initial reaction was not a good one.  
  
"Well," she said simply, "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I- I don't know," Piper stammered.  
  
"Well then what do you expect from me?" the old woman asked. "Certainly not to give you a hug and tell you it's all going to be okay. Because it's not, Piper, not by a long shot. It's bad enough you went behind my back, but now you are going to have to live with the consequence for the rest of your life."  
  
Piper nodded quietly, feeling that her grandmother's anger was completely justified, but Prue jumped in quickly to defend her sister. "Don't you think she knows that? She's spent the entire day crying over the thought of disappointing you. She doesn't need you beating her over the head with it now. Grams, she needs our support. I'd think you of all people would understand. After all, you were just a teenager when you had Mom. In fact, you were younger than Piper is now."  
  
"That doesn't give her the right to repeat my mistakes," Penny hissed. "How can I support her when I know she's just completely destroyed her life?"  
  
"Grams, I'm sorry," Piper said tearfully.  
  
Prue stood up, cutting her sister off. "Fine. If you don't want to help her through this, fine. I'll do it myself if I have to." She turned to Piper, taking her hand. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go upstairs."  
  
Penny watched then go upstairs, and her anger faded into sadness. She hated the way she'd spoke to her granddaughter just then, but at the same time she knew that Piper had to learn from this. Piper had always been responsible, but there had been an air of sadness about her before she met Jared. It hadn't been easy for her, before him. She'd never had many friends, especially not in high school. That had always worried Penny, but it worried her more once she saw how much she changed because of Jared. She knew Piper needed to learn to be happy without depending on anyone else, if she was to fulfill her destiny...  
  
Things suddenly got quiet. Penny knew this meant that Prue was in Piper's room, taking care of the understandably distraught girl, and that it was safe to go up to the attic. Quietly, she slipped up there, pausing only to listen at Piper's door. It broke her heart to hear her crying, so she quickly ran the rest of the way upstairs.  
  
Out of habit, Penny locked the attic door before lighting the five candles it would take to call a spirit. This being done, she said the spell, and her daughter appeared before her.  
  
"Oh, Patty," Penny sighed. "I'd suggest that you sit down, but... well, you know..."  
  
Patty nodded, looking down at her own transparant form. "Mother, what is it? Is there something wrong with the girls?"  
  
Penny frowned, trying to decide how to break the news. "It's Piper. She's... Well, Patty, she's pregnant."  
  
The ghost did a double-take. "What? Our Piper? But... how did this happen? She's always been so... Well, you know. So good."  
  
"I know," Penny said, pacing. "Believe me, I was completely shocked. I even... well, I wouldn't call it yelling at her, I just... chastised her, I guess that would be the best way to put it. I didn't want to, you understand, what I wanted to do was take her into my arms like she was still a little girl, but I had to do what I did."  
  
"Oh, Mother, stop pacing, you're making me want to," Patty implored.  
  
"I'm sorry, dear, I just don't know what else to do," Penny replied. "I could handle this if they were normal girls, but I can't ignore the fact that they're not. Now I have to figure out how to make this fit with what they're going to become-"  
  
"Excuse me, you just told me my sixteen-year-old daughter is having a baby and all you can think about is that damn Charmed thing?" Patty interrupted.  
  
"Of course it's not all I'm thinking about!" Penny cried. "For godsakes, she's my little girl, too. But Patty, Piper's future - all the girls' future - as witches has to be considered in this. It's going to be hard enough for her to balance a career with her duties as a Charmed One, but adding teenage parenthood?"  
  
"Maybe it'll prepare her," Patty suggested optimistically. "She'll have to learn some discipline, although she was honestly the last person I'd ever thought would have that problem. Maybe it'll make her stronger."  
  
Penny shrugged in response. "Who knows? Maybe you're right. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But in the meantime, what am I to do about her?"  
  
"Whatever you can, Mom," Patty said. And then, she was gone. 


	6. Sticking Together

Meanwhile, Piper was in her room, trying to process everything that had happened.  
  
"Sweetie, don't worry about Grams," Prue said comfortingly. "She was just upset, but she'll come around."  
  
"Great," Piper replied, "Now convince me that I'll come around."  
  
"Oh, honey," Prue sighed.  
  
"I don't know how to deal with this," Piper continued. "And what about Jared? What's he going to think?"  
  
"I don't know," Prue admitted. "But no matter what, I promise you won't have to do this alone." She reached out, covering Piper's hands with her own. Her sister looked up, and gave her a small but grateful smile.  
  
The next day, Piper went to school as usual. However, she couldn't concentrate on her classes at all. When the bell rang, she tore out of the building, not stopping until she reached Jared's car.  
  
"Hey, what's the rush?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.  
  
She pulled away, and got in the passenger seat. Concerned, he slid behind the wheel. "Piper, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."  
  
She couldn't tell him. Not there. "Just drive, Jared. Please."  
  
He complied, putting the car into gear and smoothly turning out of the school lot. "Where to?"  
  
"Oh, anywhere," she said breathlessly.  
  
"All right," he said, "Anywhere it is."  
  
He took her to a nearby park, which was all but empty. They sat down on a bench only a few feet away from the car, and he held her as she almost immediately started to cry.  
  
"Hey, what is it?" he asked gently. "Did you have another fight with your grandmother?"  
  
She started to shake her head, but stopped. "Well, yes, sort of, but Jared it's so much more than that," she said tearfully.  
  
"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he promised. "I'll help you, if I can."  
  
She took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye. "Jared, I'm pregnant."  
  
Jared felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. This was the last thing he'd expected. "What - Are you sure?"  
  
Piper nodded. "I'd been feeling weird for a while, so Prue took me to the doctor yesterday, and he confirmed it. I'm sorry, I know this is the last thing either of us needs right now-"  
  
"Shh," he shushed her. "Hey, come on, don't say that. It's just as much my fault as it is yours, and I won't pretend otherwise. Whatever you decide, I'm going to stick with you."  
  
Piper inhaled slowly. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. Because honestly, I was doing some thinking last night, and I realized that maybe I want to keep the baby."  
  
"Okay," he replied, not sure how else to respond. "We can do that. If that's what you want, we'll find a way to make it work."  
  
She leaned against him, relieved. "Thank you, for being so great about this. A lot of other guys wouldn't."  
  
"A lot of other guys don't deserve you, even if they think it's the other way around," he responded. She smiled at him, amazed at the way he always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. "Come on," he said, "Let's get you home. Your sister probably wants to kill me as it is; I don't want to make matters worse by keeping you out late."  
  
"You're probably right," she conceded, slowly getting to her feet. "I mean, Prue's been wonderful to me the past two days, but God knows what she's really thinking. She's always been so protective of us, but that usually translates into stonewalling her emotions."  
  
"Well, at least she's being supportive," he said optimistically, putting his arm around her waist as they walked the short distance back to the car.  
  
Piper nodded. "Yes, she's being ver supportive. I guess she's also trying to compensate for our grandmother in a way. Grams was... well... less than happy."  
  
He shrugged. "Give her time, she'll get used to the idea."  
  
"That's what Prue said," Piper recalled. "You know, you two are a lot alike."  
  
"Good," he replied, "Maybe then she won't hate me so much."  
  
Piper got in the car, crossing her fingers. She hoped more than anything that he was right. 


	7. Family Dinner

Jared pulled up in front of the manor only an hour after Piper usually got home from school, but for a while they both sat in the car, not wanting to go in. Finally, Phoebe came out to get them.  
  
"You guys should come in," she said through Piper's open window. "It's cold out here. Grams said that Jared could stay for dinner. She wants to get to know him better."  
  
Piper looked at Jared. "You don't have to, if you don't want. But don't be too scared, because she's really not that bad."  
  
"I'm not scared," he retorted, but melted under disbelieving stare. "Okay, I am scared. I'm not exactly her favourite person right now, am I? But your sister's right. We should get you inside before you catch a cold."  
  
"So you're coming in?" she asked.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, we might as well get it over with. Let's go."  
  
Piper got out of the car and looked at her little sister, expecting her to be wondering what they were talking about. Instead, Phoebe reached up and hugged her, whispering into her ear, "It's okay, I already know. I overheard Grams and Prue talking about it when I got home from school." She gave Piper a kiss, then lead them inside.  
  
Prue met them in the foyer. "Hi," she said coolly, her glance barely flickering in Jared's direction.  
  
Piper quickly stepped forward. "You know, I don't think you've ever officially met. Jared, these are my sisters, Prue and Phoebe. Guys, this is Jared, my..." She paused, not knowing how to introduce him. They'd never really discussed being a couple, so "my boyfriend" might be presumptuous, but "my baby's father" sounded awkward and distant.  
  
"Her boyfriend," Jared supplied. She turned to smile at him briefly, but looked away just as their eyes locked. Penny had just appeared behind Prue.  
  
"Well, you must be Jared," she said in an overly cheery tone. "I'm Piper's grandmother. Come in, come in. Dinner's almost ready. I hope you like roast beef."  
  
"Yeah, sure," Jared said, a bit taken aback. From what Piper had said, he'd been expecting to be yelled at or at the very least lectured. This warm reception was a shock to them both.  
  
"Prue, Phoebe, is Grams okay?" Piper asked warily.  
  
"Of course, she's fine," Prue responded. "She just.. she's been feeling bad about the way she yelled at you last night, so I guess now she's trying the opposite approach. She wants to make up for yesterday by being nice to him, not that he deserves it." When she mentioned Jared, she tilted her head in his direction without looking at him directly.  
  
Piper noticed this. "And what about you?"  
  
"I'll be a lot better once he leaves."  
  
Jared put his arms around Piper protectively. "I know you hate me, Prue, and you have every right to, but I'm not going anywhere. I promised Piper I'd be there for her, and I won't break that promise. I'm not going to abandon her and our baby, so you'll just have to learn to deal with me."  
  
Prue sighed. "Well, I hope for Piper's sake that you're not lying."  
  
Before either of them could say more, Grams called them into the dining room. It ended up being a very civil meal, but everyone had to struggle to keep it that way. Even Phoebe looked at Jared with a mixture of loathing and curiosity. Everyone, including Piper, was wondering whether he'd keep his word. 


	8. Best For Everyone

Over the next few months, Jared spent every spare minute with Piper. He made sure that neither of them faltered in school, and he even got a job to be able to help support her. Over time, her family started to warm up to him. Things weren't perfect, but they seemed to be getting better.  
  
Seven months after their first family dinner, Piper gave birth to a baby girl. Everyone seemed elated as they stood around the hospital room, watching Jared and Piper hold their daughter for the first time.  
  
"So, what are we going to call her?" Jared asked, beaming down at his girlfriend and the baby.  
  
Piper was quiet for a minute. "You know, I never really thought about names. Maybe... What was the name of that ancestor that you always used to tell us about, Grams?"  
  
"Melinda Warren," Penny answered, pleased that her granddaughter had remembered the family matriarch.  
  
Piper considered this, looking down at the baby. "She doesn't really look like a Melinda. How about... Melanie?"  
  
"Melanie," Jared repeated. He smiled, watching his daughter wave her little fist. "I like it. I think she does, too."  
  
Piper grinned. "Okay, then. Melanie. Melanie Patrice, after Mom, if her father doesn't object."  
  
Jared shook his head. "No argument here. I think it suits her."  
  
"Good," Piper said, smiling down at little Melanie. "Now, who wants to hold her?"  
  
"Oooh, me," Prue and Phoebe said at the same time.  
  
"Age before beauty, girls," Penny insisted. She joyfully took the baby from Piper. "Awww, she's such a precious little thing," she exclaimed. Jared and Phoebe joined her in fawning over the child.  
  
Prue, meanwhile, perched on the edge of Piper's bed. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"  
  
Piper sighed. "Happy. But at the same time, absolutely terrified. For so long, I looked forward to just holding her, but I never realized just how scary it would be."  
  
Prue hugged her. "Don't worry, honey. You'll be fine."  
  
Piper gave her a brief smile. "Thanks. I'll try not to worry. Right now, I'm just waiting for the whole 'maternal instinct' thing to kick in." Prue smiled at her, then went over to see the baby.  
  
Three days later, Piper was still waiting. The nurse brought Melanie in, and then left Piper and the baby alone while the doctor was seeing to their discharge papers.  
  
While Piper was packing, Melanie started to cry. "Hey, Mel, it's okay," Piper cooed, picking the baby up and rocking her gently. Still, she continued bawling. "What's wrong?" Piper asked her. "You were just fed, and you don't need a diaper change, so what is it?" Melanie, of course, gave no answer save for her frantic sobs.  
  
After five minutes of pacing around the room with the baby in her arms, Piper still had no idea how to appease her. Finally, Jared came in and took over.  
  
"Here, let me try," he said, and Piper gladly handed the baby over. Jared placed her against his chest, and gently patted her back until she produced a small burp. This immediately calmed her, and she snuggled up against her father happily.  
  
"Oh, of course, the one thing I didn't think to try," said Piper, who by now was crying herself.  
  
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Jared said, putting the baby back into her arms. "You're new at this, you'll get the hang of it."  
  
Piper shook her head. "I don't think I will."  
  
He rubbed her back. "You will," he promised. "You'll have to." There was a short pause. "Piper, there's something I've got to tell you. You know how you've been telling me that I need to figure out what I want to do with my life? Well, I think I have. I've gotten this great oppurtunity at an architectural design school out in Arizona, and I want you and Melanie to come with me. You can finish out high school down there, and we can use the money I've got saved up for Mel's day care. What do you think?"  
  
She looked up sharply, her eyes wide with desperation. "Jared, you have to take her with you," she cried, thrusting the baby at him. "Please, it's the best thing for all of us. I'm not ready for this, as much as I tried to tell myself I am. I can't do it. I don't know anything about being a mother, and pretending I do would be unfair to Melanie. Please, Jared, just take her."  
  
Unsure of how to react, Jared put Melanie down in the hospital bassinet and wrapped his arms around Piper, calming her down. "Hey, think about this. I know that you're scared, but-"  
  
"It's not just fear talking," she interrupted. "And I have thought about it, Jared, it's all I've thought about. I just know that she'd be better off with you. I don't want to lose her, but I need to do this for her sake."  
  
"I understand that," he said calmly, "But Piper, this is a big thing we're talking about. It involves the rest of your life, not to mention hers and mine. I just want you to be sure."  
  
Piper nodded, choking back tears. She got up, and slowly, timidly, picked up her daughter. "I'm so sorry. I hope you'll forgive me for what I'm about to do, but I don't have a choice. Not if I want you to have a good life, and I do. I want that so much. I love you more than anything, sweetheart. I know you won't always believe that, but I do. I love you."  
  
She placed the baby in Jared's arms, no longer able to keep from crying. "Take care of her," she said in a near-whisper.  
  
He nodded, kissing her hand. "Piper, I-"  
  
"No," she stopped him, not wanting to hear it. "Just go. Please, Jared, leave before I change my mind and end up destroying all of our lives."  
  
Jared nodded slowly, for the first time realizing that he was really going to do this. Looking from his baby daughter to her distraught mother, he knew it was the right thing. He stood up, kissed Piper good-bye, and then, with Melanie in his arms, walked out the door.  
  
Penny, Prue, and Phoebe came to take them home a few minutes later, and were surprised to find Piper alone in the room, crying. "I gave her up," she said simply, and went on to explain what had happened.  
  
Penny put her arms around her, assuring her that she'd done the right thing. Prue and Phoebe were less convinced, but still tried to be supportive of their sister. They brought her home, and did everything they could to make her happy again. Piper never stopped missing or loving her daughter, but as time went on, she only became more convinced that she'd made the right decision. She never regretted it, even when the pain seemed unbreable, because she knew Melanie was better off. This, at least, brought her comfort.  
  
****************  
  
The End.  
  
A/N: Don't forget to check out the next fic in this series, tentatively titled "Coming of Age", which will be centered around Melanie. 


End file.
